Photo: Ann H

What is beta wolf?

In the very simplest of terms, the beta male is the “second in command,” dominant over all but the alpha. While the positions of mid-ranking wolves are somewhat fluid, the beta generally enjoys a more stable existence.

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Thus, in the early years of the project when we introduced three pups, one male and two females, to the existing pack of five adult males, we knew we were creating a much more complicated society and one that more accurately mirrored a wild pack. Previously unseen personality traits surfaced as each wolf responded to the new pups in his own special way. The most dramatic of these was Matsi. Matsi was the littermate of Motomo and Amani, born in 1992 to the same parents that had given birth to Kamots and Lakota a year earlier. In a perfect example of how variable wolf markings can be, these three siblings ranged from Motomo’s coal black coat, to Amani’s traditional gray and black, to Matsi’s uniform beige coloration and complete lack of darker facial markings. Because of his sunny appearance we gave him the Blackfoot name for “Sweet and Brave.” Throughout his entire life, Matsi lived up to that name. Not much is written about betas, and their role in the pack structure is unclear when compared with the well-defined positions of alpha and omega. In the very simplest of terms, the beta male is the “second in command,” dominant over all but the alpha. While the positions of mid-ranking wolves are somewhat fluid, the beta generally enjoys a more stable existence. Since there is something of a separate hierarchy for males and females, there will generally be a beta female as well as a beta male. Most scientists suggest that the beta male will assume command of the pack if the current alpha is killed or injured. For this reason, a beta may have to perform the most delicate balancing act of any wolf in the society. Matsi was certainly the gentlest wolf in the Sawtooth Pack, both to me and to his pack-mates. It could well be that his kindness was a way of garnering support in case his time ever came to be the alpha. In my observations, however, Matsi seemed completely uninterested in social rank. While Amani and Motomo jostled for position, Matsi conducted himself in a fashion similar to that of Kamots. Back when he was a yearling, things had been somewhat different. Matsi had been fairly aggressive and seemed intent on asserting himself, especially over his brothers. When he was barely a year old, Matsi helped to solidify Lakota’s omega status. It seemed as though he set out to prove himself to his elders and to secure a dominant role in the pack early on. Once his beta position was firmly established, Matsi relaxed, becoming one of the least aggressive wolves in the pack. He seemed to know which rank suited him. Matsi possessed an intangible quality that I still find difficult to describe. In all affairs, he conducted himself with an air of calm dignity. He never seemed too concerned with what we humans were up to, but he did seem to enjoy our company. Often he sat quietly by my side, never expecting anything, not trying to solicit attention, just spending time with me as a friend, an equal, and I respected him for that.

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There are two occasions when the social structure of a wolf pack is most apparent. The most volatile time is during the breeding season when the dominant males and females aggressively demonstrate their status. The other time that brings out the fiercest demonstrations of social rank is feeding. Much of the footage of dominance and submission that went into my films was shot on or around a deer or elk carcass. As I had learned to do earlier, I shot a great deal of this footage in slow motion so it would better reveal subtle nuances of the wolves’ behavior. Kamots’ favor seemed to shift regularly. Some days he would let some of his pack eat immediately, some days he would make them wait. But one factor remained constant: Matsi was always allowed to eat with Kamots. This is not to say that he was not cautious. Like the other subordinate wolves, he selected a spot far away from Kamots and kept his eyes on the alpha as he ate, but he never doubted his place at a kill.

It was during feeding that Matsi’s reputation as a peace-maker was born.

As the meal progressed and more and more of the deer disappeared, Motomo and Amani would become increasingly agitated. Frequently they would work out their frustration on the unfortunate Lakota who was always waiting in the wings, torn between the desire to snatch a bite of food and the fear of drawing attention to himself. Once as I was filming, I watched Lakota give in to his hunger and try to pick up a morsel that had been flung aside. Upholding the pecking order, Matsi growled and chased Lakota several feet away from the kill and then returned to his meal. Amani, still waiting for his turn to feed and anxious to make a show of prowess, took over where Matsi had left off. He turned toward Lakota with a growl and tackled the confused omega, flipping him onto his back and straddling him as he often did. To our surprise and perhaps even Lakota’s, Matsi again left the kill but this time he rushed at Amani, knocking him off Lakota. Matsi was disciplining Amani for disciplining Lakota. We thought at the time that this was a fluke, that Matsi was simply displaying a lot of dominance that day. The more we screened our slow motion footage, the more we realized that this was a pattern. Matsi was continually sticking up for Lakota. One particular roll of film that I had shot of a pack rally was the first to bring our attention to Matsi’s peacekeeping ability. The rally was especially energetic and had turned sour on Lakota. Perhaps he had joined in the howl too enthusiastically or howled too well. Or perhaps one of the mid-ranking wolves just felt the need to assert his dominance. Whatever the reason, the pack had formed a mob around the hapless omega, blocking his escape. Even the yearlings Wahots, Wyakin and Chemukh were old enough by this time to get involved in the action, not really harassing Lakota but nevertheless adding to the mayhem. As always, Amani was the main perpetrator of any aggression aimed at Lakota. He closed in on the omega, climbing on his back and nipping at his flanks while Lakota sunk to the ground and tried to worm-crawl his way out of the ring.

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A moment later Matsi charged into the fray as well. When I filmed this action, I assumed that Matsi was simply abusing Lakota with the others. It was Jamie who observed during the third or fourth screening of the footage what we had failed to see in the blur of fangs and fur. Matsi was not digging into Lakota, rather he was forcibly inserting himself between Lakota and his tormenters. In effect, he was body-checking Amani out of the way, giving Lakota the opportunity to make a dash for cover.

livingwithwolves.org - The Beta Wolf - Living with Wolves

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